Automatic positive stop mechanism



May 21, 1929. L. R. TUFTS AUTOMATIC POSITIVE STOP MECHANISM Fi led March 11, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet May 21, 1929. R. TUFTS AUTOMATIC POSITIVE STOP MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 11, 1925 nwntog/ LESLEYH Turrs.

Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

LESLEY B. TUFTS, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND FOLDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMATIC rosrrrva s'ror MECHANISM. b

, Application filed March 11, 1925. Serial No. 14,723.

be understood that the sheets of aper are forwarded from the traveling ban s or belts a running over the terminal roller 12 to advance said sheets from left to right. The

My invention relates to improvements in automatic positive stop mechanism particularly adapted for sheet-feeding machines, and has for its object the provision of means for automatically disconnecting the driving 60 shaft, preferably accompanied by the application of a brake, immediately upon the occurrence of abnormal conditions such as the failure to feed the sheets singly or one at a time.

.Various means primarily dependent upon a suitable automatically operated appliance, such as a sheet detector, may be adopted for stopping the feeding of the sheets, but I have directed my instant improvement toward the automatic disconnection of the applied power, as by disengaging the clutch and applying a. brake immediately thereafter by the momentum of the moving parts.

- My present improvements may be briefly described as associated with a suitable sheet feeding machine equipped with a rotary suction head and an associated mechanical sheet detector such as is described and claimed in the application of Hitchcock, Ser. No. 14,67 2, although any other automatic device operable by means of irregular feeding of the sheets would come within the scope of my disclosure. The sheet detector is' associated with a connecting latchnormally held inperative, but upon its release an impulse 1s positively imparted by the momentum of the moving parts themselves first to disconnect the clutch and immediately apply a brake with augmenting force in order to check their movement. Such mechanism, to ether with suflicient of the co-operating mac ine parts, may best be explained in connection with accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a type of sheet-feeding machine to which my im rovements have been added,

ig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on line 2-2, Fig, 1, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the several segregated members or elements of the mechanism and as viewed from the opposite side of the machine, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for

somewhat diagrammatically setting forth my improvement.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings I have employed the same characters of reference to indicate similar parts.

In the sheet-feeding machine as shown in the first two figures of the drawings it will sheets are presented to the rotary suction head 0 supplied with an actuating suction through the pipes c, c, by which they normally are advanced between the members of the sheet detector d to the rollers e", e, e", etc., of the forwarding table upon the right.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it may be explained that power is applied from the shaft f through the clutch members I, to the driving train during the normal engagement of the clutch and the continued feeding of thepaper sheet by sheet. The engagement of the clutch members is dependent upon the maintenance of the latch k in its elevated or dotted line position by means of the detent g. This latch is the connecting member between the reciprocated plunger h, which is actuated by the cam h", and the link a pirated aggthe upper end of the control lever a ig.

Immediately upon the entrance of a plurality of sheets between the roller 6 and the freely rotatable member (5 of the sheet' detector, as indicated in the latter figure, said member will be turned in a clockwise direction to engage its eccentric portion (1 in pinching or gripping relation with the sheets and roller 6, thereby turning the'arm d against member 9' mounted at the other end I o shaft g" for actuating the detent 9 out of its restraining'position with respect to of explaining my instant invention to go into details of construction or operation with re spect to the sheet detector or the rotary sue h" rotating concurrently with the suction 100 head 0 also iii-clockwise direction (Fig. 3)

This moves the lever z" to the right (or to the i left, as shown in Fig. 2), thereby immediately separating the clutch members 7",

and thereafter engaging the conical brake 105 members 7', j, underthe increasing impulsion of earn it for checking the momentum. of the driven parts of the sheet-feeding machine. This obviously cuts off the power from the driving gearing k and its associated c the latch. It is not necesary, for the purpose l friction drive Z, I (Fig. 1) and positively applies the brake with an augmenting force corresponding to the moment of the moving parts acting against their continued rota tion.

I The mechanism, however, may readily be readjusted for continued operation merely by withdrawing the wedged or obstructing sheets m from between the sheet detector members, thereby permitting the adjustment of the detent g to elevate latch h and disconnect plunger 71/ so that the clutch members f, f may be operatively engaged and the brake concurrently released. This sim- 15 ple and eflicient mechanism, accordingly, is seen to be positive and highly efiicient in effecting the automatic disengagement of the power shaft. Moreover, the sheet feeding mechanism is immediately checked in its operation, so that there is no opportunity for it to become jammed or waste the sheets being fed thereb Having now described the preferred embodiment of my invention and its mode of operation sufficiently to disclose the principle and advantages thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. The combination with a sheet-feeding mechanism, of an associated sheet detector, a driving shaft for said mechanism and its clutch associated with a brake mechanism,

comprising a positively actuated member and means for securing its normal actuation in conjunction with said sheet-feeding mechanism, a connecting member adapted operatively to connect said actuating member with the clutch and brake to effect their positive actuation, and a detent under the control of the sheet detector for normally disabling the connecting member, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a sheet-feeding mechanism, of a feed-detector operative upon abnormal feeding conditions in the machine, a driving shaft for said mechanism and its associated separable clutch device, an alternative brake appliance, and a releasing mechanism operatively associated with said detector, comprising a positively actuated member and means for securing its normal actuation in conjunction with said sheet-feeding mechanism, a connecting mcn1- her, and means controllable by said detector for normally maintaining the connecting member in inoperative relation and for permitting its positive connection with the clutch and brake upon the occurrence of abnormal feeding conditions in the machine, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I do now afiix my signature.

LESLEY a. Tours. 

